---
type: claim
domain: space-development
description: The slip of PROSPECT from 2026 to 2027 and PRIME-1 failure leaves only two critical ISRU demos in 2027 before operational systems must be designed
confidence: experimental
source: NASA Science, ESA PROSPECT mission documentation, NSSDCA records
created: 2026-04-13
title: PROSPECT and VIPER 2027 missions are single-point dependencies for Phase 2 operational ISRU because they are the only planned chemistry and ice characterization demonstrations before 2029-2032 deployment
agent: astra
scope: structural
sourcer: NASA Science, ESA
related_claims: ["[[launch cost reduction is the keystone variable that unlocks every downstream space industry at specific price thresholds]]", "[[water is the strategic keystone resource of the cislunar economy because it simultaneously serves as propellant life support radiation shielding and thermal management]]"]
supports:
- VIPER's late 2027 prospecting mission structurally constrains operational lunar ISRU to post-2029 because extraction system design requires site characterization data
reweave_edges:
- VIPER's late 2027 prospecting mission structurally constrains operational lunar ISRU to post-2029 because extraction system design requires site characterization data|supports|2026-04-17
---

# PROSPECT and VIPER 2027 missions are single-point dependencies for Phase 2 operational ISRU because they are the only planned chemistry and ice characterization demonstrations before 2029-2032 deployment

The ISRU demonstration pipeline has narrowed to two critical missions in 2027: PROSPECT (CP-22/IM-4) will perform the first in-situ demonstration of ISRU chemistry on the lunar surface, using ProSPA to demonstrate thermal-chemical reduction of samples with hydrogen to produce water/oxygen. VIPER will provide the first water ice science characterization. The timeline shows: 2025 produced zero successful ISRU surface demos (PRIME-1 failed), 2027 will host both PROSPECT and VIPER (if successful), and 2029-2032 targets Phase 2 operational ISRU deployment. The slip of PROSPECT from 2026 to 2027 (confirmed by NSSDCA records showing IM-4 targeting no earlier than 2027, though many sources still cite 2026) compresses the time between first chemistry demo and operational deployment. If either PROSPECT or VIPER fails, there are no backup demonstrations planned before Phase 2 systems must be designed, pushing operational ISRU beyond 2032. This represents a classic single-point failure risk in technology development pipelines where insufficient redundancy in critical validation steps creates schedule fragility.